This project develops and applies a new geometry of biological shape that gives a natural and efficient description to a variety of biological objects at vastly different levels: chromosomes, cells, organs, organisms, etc. Applications are to (1) automation of shape analysis for diagnosis and taxonomy, including those issuing from new devices such as the tomographic scanners, (2) the description and understanding of organ and organismic development, and (3) the psychology and neurophysiology of shape processes in vision.